1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of secure receptacles, and in particular to a security drawer for mounting in an airliner service cart for in-flight currency exchange and merchandise sales.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The field of secure storage has produced a wide variety of receptacles and containers designed to accommodate various objects. The sizes and shapes of the contents are significant design factors. Security factors and access control are also important considerations. Banks and other financial institutions store cash and valuables in various ways, including cash drawers, safe deposit boxes, vaults, etc.
Activities which involve currency tend to have relatively high security requirements. Bank notes tend to be relatively small and are easily concealed. Systems for handling same thus include procedures for maintaining accountability and for reconciling transactions with currency balances. For example, retail establishments tend to rely on cash registers and similar equipment. Access to the cash contained therein is typically controlled with locking cash drawers to which only designated individuals have keys.
Airlines and other public transportation providers commonly provide limited retail operations in flight and in route. For example, beverages and merchandise are often sold by the flight crews to commercial airline passengers. On international flights, duty-free sales are common. Airline space and weight restrictions tend to severely limit the sizes and quantities of goods in inventory. Airlines typically retain percentages of merchandise sales by their flight crews. Therefore, in order to maximize revenue and comply with tight space limitations, on-board inventories commonly consist of relatively expensive, small-size merchandise.
A common procedure for conducting in-flight sales involves stocking one or more airline service carts with merchandise. The carts are stowed in the airliners"" galleys along with the other service carts provided by the food and beverage service caterers. The flight attendants navigate the aisles of the cabin while selling the contents of the service cart. Merchandise sales procedures are thus similar to procedures for serving and selling food and beverages in flight.
A number of problems are commonly encountered with in-flight currency handling. For example, a certain amount of cash is generally required in inventory in order to provide change to the passengers. Moreover, the cash receipts must be accounted for at the conclusion of the flight. Problems can arise when multiple aircrews work different legs using the same aircraft and service carts. For example, cash handling safeguards and security are necessary to minimize the risk of loss of currency and/or merchandise.
Problems relating to handling foreign currency arise on international flights. International travelers typically require currency for their destinations. Various financial institutions, such as banks, provide currency exchange services. However, locating such institutions can be difficult for international travelers.
The prior art includes a point-of-sale device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,003,008, which is assigned to a common assignee herewith. The device disclosed therein mounts on top of a service cart for operation by the flight crew. Both currency exchange and merchandise sales transactions can be handled. However, the device is too large for general use by the airlines.
In addition to the size limitations mentioned above, equipment used on airlines is subject to regulation by applicable governmental agencies. In the United States, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has jurisdiction over aircraft and equipment utilized thereon. Thus, the service carts used by airlines operating in the United States have received FAA approval based on meeting certain size, weight and other criteria.
Airlines are reluctant to modify FAA-approved equipment because the modifications may lead to additional rounds of approval procedures. Therefore, important objectives in designing equipment for handling in-flight currency exchange and merchandise sales include security, accountability by all flight crew members operating same, compact size and capability of mounting within existing, FAA-approved equipment without modifying same. Heretofore, there has not been available a security drawer for service carts with the advantages and features of the present invention.
In the practice of the present invention, a security drawer assembly is provided for a standard airline service cart. Such service carts generally include opposite sidewalls which define a storage compartment therebetween. Each sidewall has a plurality of horizontal runners mounted thereon for supporting food trays and the like. The front and back of the service cart have doors which swing open to provide access to the storage compartment.
The security drawer assembly generally includes a sleeve and a drawer slidably mounted in the sleeve. The sleeve has opposite first and second sleeve sidewalls, opposite first and second open ends, and a passage extending between the open ends. A flange mounted to each of the sleeve sidewalls is adapted for slidably engaging a respective cart runner such that the sleeve is horizontally slidably supportable in the storage compartment by the flanges engaging the respective cart runners. The sleeve is retained within the cart by stop blocks connected to the sleeve sidewalls proximate the sleeve ends which engage the ends of the cart runners. The stop blocks are connected to the sleeve by fasteners which are not accessible for removal when the drawer is closed and locked.
The drawer has opposite first and second sidewalls, opposite first and second ends, and is slidably received in the sleeve passage such that it is movable between a first open position where the drawer first end extends from the sleeve first end, a second open position where the drawer second end extends from the sleeve second end, and a closed position where the drawer is contained within the sleeve. The drawer also includes a dividing wall located intermediate the first and second ends which divides the drawer into first and second compartments. Only the first compartment is accessible when the drawer is in the first open position and only the second compartment is accessible when the drawer is in the second open position.
The first and second drawer compartments have respective first and second lock mechanisms installed therein which control access to the respective drawer compartments. The first lock mechanism includes a first deadbolt which is selectively extendable through the first drawer sidewall and the second lock mechanism includes a second deadbolt which is selectively extendable through the second drawer sidewall.
The sleeve is provided with drawer stops positioned to engage the deadbolts of the drawer lock mechanisms. The first and second sleeve sidewalls have respective first and second drawer stops mounted to them intermediate the first and second sleeve ends, and each of the stop blocks includes an inner portion which extends into the sleeve passage and also serves as a drawer stop.
When both of the lock mechanisms have their deadbolts extended, the drawer is retained in its closed position, since the first deadbolt engages the stop block mounted on the first sleeve sidewall proximate the first sleeve end and the second deadbolt engages the stop block mounted on the second sleeve sidewall proximate the second sleeve end. When only the first lock mechanism has its deadbolt extended the drawer is moveable to the second open position, the first deadbolt being free to move between the stop block mounted on the first sleeve sidewall proximate the first sleeve end and the first drawer stop. Similarly, when only the second lock mechanism has its deadbolt extended, the drawer is moveable to the first open position, since the second deadbolt is moveable between the stop block mounted on the second sleeve sidewall proximate the second sleeve end and the second drawer stop.
Since the primary purpose of the security drawer is the storage of currency, each compartment of the security drawer may include a plurality of bill dividers for sorting cash and a plurality of change cups for sorting change, as well as a security box, the security box having a hinged lid with a hasp for receiving a flexible security seal.
The principal objects and advantages of the present invention include: providing a security drawer assembly for an airline service cart; providing such a security drawer which can be installed in the service cart without making any modifications to the cart; providing such a security drawer assembly which cannot be removed from the cart when the drawer is locked; providing such a security drawer assembly which affords superior protection to valuable contents stored therein; providing such a security drawer assembly which is compact and fits entirely within the service cart; providing such a security drawer assembly which has separate compartments with access to each compartment controlled by separate locks; and providing such a security drawer assembly which is economical to manufacture, efficient in operation, capable of a long operating life and particularly well-adapted for the proposed usage thereof.